The ketogenic diet, characterized by its low carbohydrate and high-fat composition, has gained popularity for its potential health benefits, including weight loss and reduced risk of certain diseases. This article explores how to leverage the keto diet for a quick and sustained energy boost, addressing common challenges and misconceptions along the way.
Keto Basics
The ketogenic diet (or keto diet, for short) is a low carb, high fat diet that offers many health benefits. The ketogenic diet involves consuming a very low amount of carbohydrates and replacing them with fat to help your body burn fat for energy. This metabolic shift puts the body into a state called ketosis, where it becomes efficient at burning fat for energy and converts fat into ketones in the liver, which can fuel the brain. Ketogenic diets can cause significant reductions in blood sugar and insulin levels, which, along with the increased ketones, has some health benefits.
Types of Ketogenic Diets
There are several versions of the ketogenic diet:
- Standard Ketogenic Diet (SKD): A very low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet, typically comprising 70% fat, 20% protein, and 10% carbs.
- Cyclical Ketogenic Diet (CKD): Involves periods of higher carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high carb days.
- Targeted Ketogenic Diet (TKD): Allows adding carbs around workouts.
- High-Protein Ketogenic Diet: Similar to SKD but includes more protein, with a ratio of often 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.
The standard and high-protein ketogenic diets are the most extensively studied, while cyclical and targeted ketogenic diets are more advanced methods primarily used by bodybuilders or athletes.
Achieving Ketosis
Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body uses fat for fuel instead of carbs. It occurs when you significantly reduce your consumption of carbohydrates, limiting your body’s supply of glucose (sugar), which is the main source of energy for the cells. Following a ketogenic diet is the most effective way to enter ketosis. Generally, this involves limiting carb consumption to around 20 to 50 grams per day and filling up on fats, such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy oils.
Read also: Keto Blueberry Sweet Treats
Tips for Entering Ketosis Faster
- Limit Carb Intake: Restrict carbohydrate consumption to 20-50 grams per day.
- Increase Fat Intake: Focus on healthy fats like those found in meat, fish, eggs, nuts, and oils.
- Moderate Protein Intake: Consuming too much protein can slow your transition into ketosis, as protein can be converted into glucose if consumed in high amounts.
- Intermittent Fasting: Practicing intermittent fasting could also help you enter ketosis faster. There are many different forms of intermittent fasting, but the most common method involves limiting food intake to around 8 hours per day and fasting for the remaining 16 hours.
Monitoring Ketosis
Blood, urine, and breath tests are available to measure ketone levels and determine if you’ve entered ketosis. Certain symptoms may also indicate that you’ve entered ketosis, including increased thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, and decreased hunger or appetite.
Benefits of the Keto Diet
A ketogenic diet is an effective way to lose weight and lower risk factors for disease.
Weight Loss
Research shows that the ketogenic diet may be as effective for weight loss as a low fat diet. The diet is so filling that you can lose weight without counting calories or tracking your food intake. People who followed the keto diet lost an average of 2 pounds (0.9 kg) more than the group that followed a low fat diet. Another study in 34 older adults found that those who followed a ketogenic diet for 8 weeks lost nearly five times as much total body fat as those who followed a low fat diet. The increased ketones, lower blood sugar levels, and improved insulin sensitivity may also play a key role.
Diabetes and Insulin Sensitivity
Diabetes is characterized by changes in metabolism, high blood sugar, and impaired insulin function. The ketogenic diet can boost insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss, leading to significant health benefits for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. One older study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75%. A small study in women with type 2 diabetes also found that following a ketogenic diet for 90 days significantly reduced levels of hemoglobin A1C, which is a measure of long-term blood sugar management. Another study in 349 people with type 2 diabetes found that those who followed a ketogenic diet lost an average of 26.2 pounds (11.9 kg) over a 2-year period. What’s more, they also experienced improved blood sugar management, and the use of certain blood sugar medications decreased among participants throughout the course of the study.
Other Health Conditions
Studies have shown that the diet can have benefits for a wide variety of different health conditions:
Read also: Quick Keto Meals
- Heart disease: The ketogenic diet can help improve risk factors like body fat, HDL (good) cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
- Cancer: The diet is currently being explored as an additional treatment for cancer, because it may help slow tumor growth.
- Alzheimer’s disease: The keto diet may help reduce symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and slow its progression.
- Epilepsy: Research has shown that the ketogenic diet can cause significant reductions in seizures in epileptic children.
- Parkinson’s disease: Although more research is needed, one study found that the diet helped improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome: The ketogenic diet can help reduce insulin levels, which may play a key role in polycystic ovary syndrome.
- Brain injuries: Some research suggests that the diet could improve outcomes of traumatic brain injuries.
Foods to Eat and Avoid on Keto
Foods to Avoid
Here’s a list of foods that need to be reduced or eliminated on a ketogenic diet:
- Sugary foods: Soda, fruit juice, smoothies, cake, ice cream, candy, etc.
- Grains or starches: Wheat-based products, rice, pasta, cereal, etc.
- Fruit: All fruit, except small portions of berries or strawberries
- Beans or legumes: Peas, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
- Root vegetables and tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.
- Low fat or diet products: Low fat mayonnaise, salad dressings, and condiments
- Some condiments or sauces: Barbecue sauce, honey mustard, teriyaki sauce, ketchup, etc.
- Unhealthy fats: Processed vegetable oils, mayonnaise, etc.
- Alcohol: Beer, wine, liquor, mixed drinks
- Sugar-free diet foods: Sugar-free candies, syrups, puddings, sweeteners, desserts, etc.
Foods to Eat
You should base the majority of your meals around these foods:
- Meat: Red meat, steak, ham, sausage, bacon, chicken, and turkey
- Fatty fish: Salmon, trout, tuna, and mackerel
- Eggs: Pastured or omega-3 whole eggs
- Butter and cream: Grass-fed butter and heavy cream
- Cheese: Unprocessed cheeses like cheddar, goat, cream, blue, or mozzarella
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, etc.
- Healthy oils: Extra virgin olive oil, and avocado oil
- Avocados: Whole avocados or freshly made guacamole
- Low carb veggies: Green veggies, tomatoes, onions, peppers, etc.
- Condiments: Salt, pepper, herbs, and spices
It’s best to base your diet mostly on whole, single-ingredient foods.
Sample Keto Meal Plan
Here’s a sample ketogenic diet meal plan for a week:
- Monday
- Breakfast: Veggie and egg muffins with tomatoes
- Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil, feta cheese, olives, and a side salad
- Dinner: Salmon with asparagus cooked in butter
- Tuesday
- Breakfast: Egg, tomato, basil, and spinach omelet
- Lunch: Almond milk, peanut butter, spinach, cocoa powder, and stevia milkshake with a side of sliced strawberries
- Dinner: Cheese-shell tacos with salsa
- Wednesday
- Breakfast: Nut milk chia pudding topped with coconut and blackberries
- Lunch: Avocado shrimp salad
- Dinner: Pork chops with Parmesan cheese, broccoli, and salad
- Thursday
- Breakfast: Omelet with avocado, salsa, peppers, onion, and spices
- Lunch: A handful of nuts and celery sticks with guacamole and salsa
- Dinner: Chicken stuffed with pesto and cream cheese, and a side of grilled zucchini
- Friday
- Breakfast: Sugar-free Greek, whole milk yogurt with peanut butter, cocoa powder, and berries
- Lunch: Ground beef lettuce wrap tacos with sliced bell peppers
- Dinner: Loaded cauliflower and mixed veggies
- Saturday
- Breakfast: Cream cheese pancakes with blueberries and a side of grilled mushrooms
- Lunch: Zucchini and beet “noodle” salad
- Dinner: White fish cooked in olive oil with kale and toasted pine nuts
- Sunday
- Breakfast: Fried eggs with and mushroom
- Lunch: Low carb sesame chicken and broccoli
- Dinner: Spaghetti squash Bolognese
Always try to rotate the vegetables and meat over the long term, as each type provides different nutrients and health benefits.
Read also: Easy Single-Serving Meals
Eating Out on Keto
When eating out, select a meat-, fish-, or egg-based dish. Order extra veggies instead of carbs or starches, and have cheese for dessert.
Addressing the Keto Flu
Although the ketogenic diet is usually safe for most healthy people, there may be some initial side effects while your body adapts. There’s some anecdotal evidence of these effects often referred to as the keto flu. Based on reports from some on the eating plan, it’s usually over within a few days. Reported keto flu symptoms include diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting. Other less common symptoms include:
- Poor energy and mental function
- Increased hunger
- Sleep issues
- Nausea
- Digestive discomfort
- Decreased exercise performance
Minimizing Keto Flu Symptoms
- Start with a Low-Carb Diet: To minimize this, you can try a regular low carb diet for the first few weeks. This may teach your body to burn more fat before you completely eliminate carbs.
- Increase Salt and Mineral Intake: A ketogenic diet can also change the water and mineral balance of your body, so adding extra salt to your meals or taking mineral supplements may help. Talk to your doctor about your nutritional needs.
- Avoid Calorie Restriction: At least in the beginning, it’s important to eat until you’re full and avoid restricting calories too much. Usually, a ketogenic diet causes weight loss without intentional calorie restriction.
Long-Term Considerations
While the keto diet has its benefits, staying on it in the long term may have some negative effects, including risks of the following:
- Low protein in the blood
- Extra fat in the liver
- Kidney stones
- Micronutrient deficiencies
A type of medication called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors for type 2 diabetes can increase the risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, a dangerous condition that increases blood acidity. Anyone taking this medication should avoid the keto diet. More research is being done to determine the safety of the keto diet in the long term. Keep your doctor informed of your eating plan to guide your choices.
Helpful Supplements
Although no supplements are required, some can be useful.
- MCT Oil: Added to drinks or yogurt, MCT oil provides energy and helps increase ketone levels.
- Minerals: Added salt and other minerals can be important when starting out due to shifts in water and mineral balance.
- Caffeine: Caffeine can have benefits for energy, fat loss, and performance.
- Exogenous Ketones: This supplement may help raise the body’s ketone levels.
- Creatine: Creatine provides numerous benefits for health and performance. This can help if you are combining a ketogenic diet with exercise.
- Whey: Use half a scoop of whey protein in shakes or yogurt to increase your daily protein intake.
Common Questions About the Keto Diet
- Can I ever eat carbs again? Yes. However, it’s important to significantly reduce your carb intake initially. After the first 2 to 3 months, you can eat carbs on special occasions - just return to the diet immediately after.
- Will I lose muscle? There’s a risk of losing some muscle on any diet. However, protein intake and high ketone levels may help minimize muscle loss, especially if you lift weights.
- Can I build muscle on a ketogenic diet? Yes, but it may not work as well as on a moderate carb diet.
Quick Energy Boost Strategies on Keto
Switching to a keto lifestyle powers up plenty of people, some may feel fatigued and need ways to boost energy, particularly when first starting out.
Top Tips for Boosting Energy on Keto
- Stay Hydrated and Replenish Electrolytes: Dehydration holds you back from feeling energized and causes symptoms similar to the keto flu, such as brain fog, fatigue, and muscle cramps. Make sure you’re drinking enough water to stay hydrated, and use an electrolyte powder in your drink for added minerals.
- Consume a Mineral-Rich Diet: Consume a mineral-rich, well-formulated ketogenic diet and fill your plate with magnesium and potassium-rich foods like avocado and fish. Keto dieters often use more salt on their food to obtain sufficient sodium and trace minerals. Use a high-quality salt like a Celtic sea salt or an Arctic salt, and happy salting!
- Eat More Calories: On keto, you also burn more body fat, which is positive for weight loss. Undereating also decreases your body’s production of thyroid and energy hormones, leading to metabolic dysfunction over time. If you think you’re not eating enough calories and you’re worrying too much about calorie counting or food weighing, it could be time to take a step back and nourish and energize your cells with more calories, minerals, and vitamins.
- Don’t Over Exercise or Underexercise: Movement is medicine, and it’s crucial you find the right balance! You might decide to talk to your doctor or personal trainer about finding a suitable exercise plan for you.
- Eat More High-Quality Natural Foods: Prioritize fresh produce and healthy meats and fats. Doctors advocate eating the rainbow and the whole spectrum of colorful antioxidant-rich plant foods. Remember, it could take a few weeks or longer for your metabolism to adapt to eating healthier and more natural low-carb foods.
- Eat More Fat: Most of your energy on keto comes from fat, so make sure you’re eating enough of it and eating the right kinds of healthy fats. Get ready to enjoy healthy fats like coconut oil and coconut milk, olive oil, grass-fed butter or ghee, grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, avocado, nuts, nut butters, and seeds!
- Increase Your Carbs: Especially as your body adjusts to this way of eating, you might need more carbs. Unless you’re following a very-low-carb therapeutic ketogenic diet to treat a health condition like epilepsy, you could try upping your carb intake closer to 50 grams of net carbs per day to see if your fatigue resolves. Add in more keto-friendly fruits and veggies like berries, cabbage, and cauliflower to bulk up nutrition while remaining in ketosis.
- Try Cyclical Keto: You could try a cyclical keto diet where you cycle in and out of ketosis. A cyclical ketogenic diet typically works best for athletes and people who are more active. It’s also easiest for those whose bodies are fat-adapted, so they are able to easily switch back into ketosis.
- Examine Your Macros: If you’re really tired all the time, you could examine your macros. The standard ketogenic diet varies from 65-80% calories from fats, 20-35% from protein, and 5-10% from net carbs. However, it’s possible you need to tweak your macros to feel better.
- Start Slow: You might need to start slow and work your way into ketosis more gradually.
- Try Keto Supplements: Keto supplements help you maintain a state of ketosis and might boost energy overall. Common keto supplements include MCT oil and exogenous ketones.
- Get More Sleep: Work on improving your sleep environment by creating a dark, quiet, cool, and comfortable room. If you really can’t sleep while on keto, you might need to visit your doctor to dig deeper.
Keto-Friendly Drinks for Sustained Energy
Whether at the gym or on a lunch break, having the right drink- in terms of both taste and nutritional content-by your side is important.
Keto-Friendly Drink Options
- Water: Staying hydrated is an important part of any diet, but is especially important when eating low carb to avoid “keto flu.”
- Sparkling Water: Sparkling water options, like La Croix, are a great (and bubbly!) way to hydrate with an added dash of zero carb and zero calorie flavor.
- Coffee: No need to sacrifice your morning pick-me-up! Having your cup-of-energy black or with keto-friendly coffee creamers are both great ways to continue limiting carbs, maintaining a keto diet, and more.
- Unsweetened Tea: Unsweetened tea, served either hot or iced, keeps you on track and is a great keto-friendly choice for a warm day. On top of being perfect for your next picnic, this drink is both carb- and calorie-free.
- Diet Soda: As the use of artificial sweeteners lowers the carb count, diet soda on keto is a permitted indulgence, as long as you’re not overdoing it.
- Non-Dairy Milk: Dairy milk on keto may need to be sidelined, but nut milk is ready to shine. Unsweetened cashew or almond milk provides fats and protein without the carbs, making it ideal to consume while on a keto diet.
- Keto-Friendly Shakes: Many shakes minimize carbohydrate consumption while providing a quick energy boost. Even better, Atkins shakes offer ready-to-drink shakes in delicious flavors like vanilla, chocolate, and more that work perfectly with your low carb lifestyle!
- Bone Broth: Yes, bone broth is a tasty drink to many!
Drinks to Avoid While Eating Keto
- Non-Diet Soda: One 12 oz. Pepsi may seem relatively innocent, but in reality it has a whopping 41 grams of carbs and could derail any keto-related progress.
- Sports/Energy Drinks: While living keto, sticking to energy-filled foods is the better option as sports and energy drinks are ridden with sugar and carbs.
- Vitamin Water: Packed with sugar, standard vitamin water should be avoided in order to stay on a low carb diet.
- Hot Chocolate: For those who do, most hot chocolate should not be included in a keto diet due to the carbs and sugars present.
- Mocha: The typical combination of milk, whipped cream, and mocha sauce may make for a sweet treat, but it also makes for a carb-filled beverage.
- Fruit Juices: An 8 oz. cup of apple juice contains roughly 24 grams of carbs, making it a beverage to steer clear from.
- Lemonade: Typically jam-packed with sugar, those partaking in a keto lifestyle should be wary of the ingredients present in lemonade.
Keto-Friendly Snacks for Sustained Energy
For people on the keto diet, keto-friendly snacks play a key role in staying on track. Why? Because keto snacks can help maintain energy, keep hunger at bay, and give you flexibility without breaking out of ketosis.
Key Benefits of Keto Snacks
Keto snacks are designed to meet the low-carb, high-fat needs of a ketogenic diet, which helps the body remain in a fat-burning state known as ketosis.
- Energy and Focus: Keto snacks help you maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day, especially during times when meals may be spaced out. By keeping blood sugar stable, they reduce energy crashes and help support better focus.
- Blood Sugar Stabilization: With low-carb, keto-friendly snacks, blood sugar and insulin levels remain stable, supporting balanced energy and reducing sudden hunger spikes.
- Dietary Adherence and Satisfaction: Snacks that fit the diet’s principles offer a way to stay satisfied and curb cravings, making it easier to stay committed and avoid carb temptations.
Essential Nutrients in Keto Snacks
To create satisfying, health-supporting keto snacks, it’s essential to consider three key nutrients: healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
- Healthy Fats: Fats are the primary energy source in a keto diet, inducing and sustaining ketosis by limiting carbohydrate intake.
- Protein: Moderate protein intake is a cornerstone of keto. It helps keep hunger at bay without spiking insulin levels.
- Fiber and Electrolytes: Fiber helps support digestion and can come from low-carb sources like chia seeds and flaxseeds. Additionally, many people on keto need electrolytes to avoid "keto flu."
Types of Keto Snacks to Consider
- Portable and Pre-Packaged Options: For those with busy schedules, portable options are ideal. Items like pre-packaged nut butter, cheese sticks, and meat sticks (like beef jerky) are quick, convenient, and easy to keep on hand.
- Whole Food Choices: Whole foods like hard-boiled eggs, avocados, and olives are nutrient-dense and free from additives.
- Homemade and DIY Snacks: For those who like to know exactly what’s in their food, making snacks at home can be a great option.
Top 10 Keto Snack Ideas
- Avocado with Sea Salt: high in fats and fiber for lasting satiety.
- String Cheese or Cheese Sticks: easy to carry and rich in protein and fats.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: simple, protein-rich snack with healthy fats.
- Almonds or Mixed Nuts: healthy fats and protein in a portable form.
- Fat Bombs: a blend of coconut, macadamia, or MCT oil, nut butter, and cocoa for a high-fat treat.
- Greek Yogurt with Berries: limited berries add flavor and antioxidants with minimal carbs.
- Nut Butter Packets: almond or peanut butter packets are great on the go.
- Salmon with Cucumber Slices and Cream Cheese: a low-carb, refreshing snack with healthy fats and protein.
- Celery with Almond Butter: adds crunch and fiber, great for pairing with fats.
- Olives: packed with healthy fats, olives are easy to store and carry.